A lonely owl reminisces about the seemingly care-free days of his youth. A dove, desperate to reach Africa, asks him for help. The two embark on a journey where they face death but are rescued by an unlikely new friend: a whale. From then on they reach a home different from what the dove remembers. What was once a dense forest is now desert. It is up to them, along with the sun, a gust of wind, and other animals from around the world, to plant the seed of life back into the desert. It is not easy and it takes a lot of help, including help from the humans.

This book is appealing for those who enjoy the theater arts and animal stories. It can also appeal to those who enjoy a good mystery. The story never clearly explains how the dove’s home got destroyed, nor why the owl is bogged down by the memories of his youth. Readers are free to fill in these empty spaces by looking for clues in the dialogue-rich narrative, where they can make connections between the desert landscape and humanity’s progress coupled with indifference for others and the environment. The book, however, never points a finger of blame. Instead, the focus is on how we can all cooperate and collaborate to bring back the rich forests to now sandy terrain.

The Art

Nikolai Tiitinen combines bright and vibrant colors with rich, earthy tones. The blended backgrounds emphasize the fantastic nature of the characters and plot. The illustrator pays careful attention to each animal’s face, casting them in brighter colors, which helps draw the eye to them and encourages the reader to acknowledge them and empathize with their plight.

What questions might you ask to get kids talking about the book?

If you were the dove, would you have asked the owl for help? Why?

Why do you think the whale’s brothers and sisters risked their lives to deliver a message?

You’re probably thinking: “You’re kidding me. She’s reviewing Naruto volume 1?! I know I’m quite late to jump on this particular bandwagon, though it was suggested to me about 5 years ago. Honestly, I should listen to my students when they tell me to read some of these titles! (Except for Death Note…that’s not a manga I would recommend to anyone K-12. Period.)

Naruto never attracted my attention, despite the hordes of students eating them up and begging for more. Now, however, I’m trying to catch up to the latest volumes and avoiding any fans so they don’t spoil the story for me. So, what’s to like about Naruto?

First, if you’ve been under a rock, self-imposed or otherwise, here’s the skinny: this is the story of a young ninja in training whose body was sacrificed to save his village from a 9-tailed demon fox, now imprisoned inside him. For the longest time he was the village reject without knowing why. When he discovers the secret locked in his body, his story truly begins. It’s one of exploring, creating, testing, and transforming the bonds that we form with others.

In the first volume, when we meet Naruto for the first time, he is the cocky class clown who can’t do anything right. It’s time for him to take his final exam, for the third time, so he can graduate from ninja school, earn his leaf headband, and continue his training. However, he fails a fourth time. Dejected and desperate, he is easily tricked into stealing one of the village’s most dangerous scrolls. Now the whole village is after him but all he wants is to learn what’s in the scroll so he can graduate.

I’ve met many teachers who have some reservations about this series, such as the violence and the occasional skirting of adult themes, but I believe the pros outweigh the cons. To be fair, here are some of the cons of this manga:

Sacrificing one for the sake of many: The way an entire village sacrifices the life of a baby by imprisoning a demon inside and then shunning said child, is quite horrible.

Violence: 12-year-olds are trained in the ninja ways and once they graduate they are expected to take on missions and risk their lives for the village. The fight scenes are lengthy and many characters get beaten to within an inch of their lives (and in later volumes they die).

Adult themes: Part of Naruto’s pranks includes a transformation into a sexy, naked blonde to unnerve his teachers and peers. Little poof of clouds are the only objects standing in the way of full frontal nudity.

The main character disregards rules and authority.

These are valid points, but to dwell on simplistic ideas of violence and what is or is not “appropriate” would be to completely miss the point in Naruto. Compared to most of what passes for entertainment in television these days, this series is quite mild and it actually has a lot to offer. Here’s how:

Sacrificing one for the sake of many: this is a controversial topic that can open the door to a lot of discussion in the classroom. For example, we could compare what happens in the story to the way soldiers sacrifice their lives for their country and the way they sacrifice the lives of others for the same reason. No longer so clear-cut, is it?

Violence: There are many types of violence in life and bullying is one of them, to which children are no strangers. In the beginning of this series there is a lot of bullying of Naruto by peers and adults. This could open the door to conversations on how to address bullying in school.

Adult themes: Some of these inappropriate scenes are brought on by Naruto’s yearning to be acknowledged. This could begin an insightful discussion on what people are willing to do for others to pay attention to them and why. Kids can easily relate to Naruto’s feelings. He desperately wants to belong and make friends, so he resorts to becoming the trickster and become the center of attention.

Disregard for authority and rules: This is very prevalent in schools and can open the door to discussions concerning respect and the meaning behind having and following rules.

Perseverance: Naruto lacks talent, intelligence and common sense, as he’s reminded constantly, yet he defies all odds with hard work, perseverance and big heart. Children can discuss if this idea of working hard to achieve one’s dreams is realistic. Indeed, Naruto provides many examples where he apparently fails despite how hard he tries. But, does he really “lose”?

Bonds: Naruto does not have a family, but he begins to make one for himself through bonds with instructors and peers. Students can discuss the importance of forming bonds with others and different types of families extant.

Acceptance: This term is quite different from “tolerance”, which is so popular yet implies that there is something negative we have to put up with. Naruto, in having experienced hardship, pain, segregation and loneliness has developed empathy for others, which allows him to give people the benefit of the doubt and see beyond the surface. This facilitates discussion about differences and how they inform our lives.

Growth: This is what keeps me going back to Naruto. From the first volume we witness his growth as a ninja, as a friend, and as a human being. It’s this growth that encourages inquiry and sends a clear message: It’s OK to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and continue to move forward.

Is Naruto worth the read? Should we tap into this story in the classroom? It’s my hope that you will pick up the first volume and decide for yourself. It gets two thumbs up from me!

This is the second book in Suzanne Collin’s trilogy of the Hunger Games and it’s just as good, if not better than the first book. Check out a previous post if you’re not familiar with the storyline.

I an amazing twist of events, there are more survivors than previously expected, much to the embarrassment of the Capitol. Katniss’ year as the champion does little to settle her nerves, since she knows the Capitol is watching her every step. When the time comes again to pick this year’s “tributes”, a nasty surprise awaits all of the champions of recent years, as they must go back to fight for their lives. This time they are up against the best of the best. Behind the scenes, the districts are furious that their champions are in danger once more and keep a close eye on Katniss in particular. Will she be the one to set off the events that lead to a new rebellion? Who will survive this year’s Hunger Games?

I thoroughly enjoyed the transformation that takes place in this second book. In response to the Capitol’s new demands and cruel machinations, Katniss’ plight continues to unravel everyone’s beliefs about the system. The people of the capitol stir in discomfort; the districts begin to shake off their fear. The tension mounts with the turn of every page…

I won’t say much else because I do not want to ruin the experience for those of you who have not yet had the opportunity to read this book. 😉

Questions: I like that this book makes you think and, better yet, it encourages you to ask very difficult questions that have no easy answer/s. One question that is still prevalent is: what does it mean to be human?

Other questions up for discussion could be:

How can one idea change the world?

In the story, the mockingjay becomes a symbol of freedom. What other objects or symbols do you know of that people have given specific meaning to? Why are symbols important to humans?

How do our experiences help shape our ideas of what it means to be human?

Welcome! You have arrived at yet another blog entry of a reviewer who absolutely loves this book.

For those of us who are not surrounded and immersed in children’s and young adult literature 24/7, The Hunger Games is a story set in a post-apocalyptic world, once known as North America, where twelve districts must send two young tributes, (read: sacrifices), to participate in the annual, televised Hunger Games, where they must fight to the death as a reminder that rebellion is not tolerated. Only one can survive.

The good

I could write pages on what I like about this story, but I’ll spare you and mention only a couple of points.

First, the main character is complex, flawed, and oh-so likeable. Her name is Katniss and I found that sometimes I loved her, other times I was wary of her, and I could not stop rooting for her. She is cold, calculating and willing to risk everything to survive. You can’t help but wondering if she has risked too much…

Second, the world in which she is raised presents two very different, plausible sides: the impoverished, oppressed and broken districts, and the exceedingly rich, bloodthirsty, fashion-obsessed population of the Capitol. When the two sides meet through The Hunger Games, is it better to win or lose? Which is which? Death or life?

The bad (?) – you decide

The book does have quite a few violent scenes. In fact, the whole premise of 12-17-year-olds killing each other for the viewers’ pleasure is in itself disturbing. However, this could open the door to meaningful discussions around questions such as: what does it mean to be human? If you were chosen to participate in the games, would you choose to take a life? How does the government use the media to show the violence? What parts do you think are not televised to the districts and why?

If you have not yet read this book, I highly recommend it. It will keep you thinking and wondering long after you have finished the last page. The best part is that it’s a trilogy! (#2 Catching Fire and #3 Mockingjay)

In this world, the children of mad scientists are sent to a special school, called Hollow Fields, to study the art of becoming a great evil mad scientist. The school is run by Miss Weaver and her mechanical engineers. The kids take classes like grave robbing, anatomy experiments and killer robot construction. All is fun and games until Friday comes, when the lowest achieving student is sent to detention in the mysterious Windmill. This is the way it’s been for years, until Lucy Snow arrives and one “lucky” child escapes from the Windmill. Just what is Miss Weaver working on? What happens to the students who go to detention? Will Lucy survive the school year?

Favorite

I love the character designs for Miss Weaver, Miss Notch and Miss Ricketts. The robotic clockwork graphics created by Mrs. Rosca was what attracted me to this manga. Her attention to detail is fantastic. It’s also a nice twist to the school manga stoylines: a school for mad scientist! How can you pass that up?

My favorite character is Miss Weaver. Her design is fabulous and her personality is perfect for a mad scientist school principal: impatient, cruel and ingenious. Of course, I get a kick out of having such a strong female character being in charge and bossing people around. Definitely a plus. Another thing I love about this series is that it starts and finishes in less than ten volumes. So many original American manga are left unfinished by creators or publishers that sometimes I hesitate to buy the first volume because I never know if it will continue. Others drag on in endless volumes and pretty soon your shelf is full of multiple volumes where, sincerely, there is not much plot advancement. My congratulations to Mrs. Rosca for creating and illustrating such an entertaining story. I look forward to her next series.

Hollow Fields is available from GoManga as both three separate volumes and an omnibus collection.

Pixie is a two volume graphic novel published in the United States by Toykopop. It follows the adventures of Pixie, a young red-haired thief; Prince Ael, a young prince with the power to move through dreams; Elvynn, a spellcasting warrior; and Balor, a wise werewolf. Together they are trying to stop Ankou from unleashing his terrible machine on the different worlds.

Didn’t that sound like any other review? LOL, I picked up this series at my local Barnes and Noble store. Why? Because I like the illustrations. That is usually the reason why I pick up graphic novels, the pictures. If the illustrations don’t catch my eye, I probably will not buy it. I know that sounds awful, but it’s the truth. (Same goes for most books I’ve picked up.) Now that’s not to say that I buy everything with cute illustrations or that it is the only reason I pick up books or comics. It is the leading reason, not the only one. Got it? Great.

The Good

I love the art! (Have you gotten that fact clear yet? LOL!) The colors are rich and vibrant. It has that fantasy look down. Glowing-sparkling fairies and what-nots. Beautiful creatures: mermaids, fairies and even dragons. What can I say? Aurore Demilly is an excellent artist! If you’re not familiar with her work, please visit her website. She has excellent pieces in her gallery (like the one below).

The story: one thief helping out a confused prince. Classic. I love that they’re not perfect characters (ok, they’re kind of typical). Pixie is the typical do-first-ask-later hero that has a lame plan for every situation. But I like the idea of having the ability to control your surroundings with your dreams. What if I dream that I was a mermaid and woke up under the ocean? What if I have a really ugly nightmare and wake-up in that scenario? You have to admit, it’s an interesting idea.

The Bad

This comic is a translation. Pixie was originally published by Delcourt in France. When I was reading it, it seemed that in some instances some of the context was “lost in translation”. Or I got the feeling that it was translated literally and that the meaning didn’t come across as intended. Really, it comes across as a bad translation.

The action moves way too fast. One moment you are trapped in a jail cell; the next you are roaming around the palace halls. The ending is rushed.

Parting thought: I took French in high school and then one semester at the university, so technically I can read the original French version of this comic. What stops me? The prices. I wish I could afford to buy a lot of French comics. They have some gems over there that I know I would love. Maybe I should purchase some through Amazon.

I had so much fun reading this book, which is great for both boys and girls (Even older ones like me that are not in the grades 3-5 range!).

Two characters are struggling for control of a fairy tale that’s gone out of control. The girl begins telling the boy a story about a princess and her eight ponies. The boy is bored and decides to spice things up. He interrupts the girl and introduces a cool motorcycle dude who battles the evil giant who had stolen the princess’ ponies. Annoyed by the interruption and changes to the story, the girl interrupts the plot yet again. Now the princess takes matters into her own hands!

Silly as it sounds, when I shared this book with a friend, she read it out loud to me, changing voice and attitude as the characters struggled for control of their invented fairy tale. I laughed so much I was near tears!

This is really a great book to share and role-play. It also features different artistic styles and colors, which highlight the changes in tone and mood.